Chocolate Spice Veggie Muffins

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Muffins usually don't come to mind when considering a nutrient-dense breakfast, but these pack in many minerals and vitamins, thanks to the spinach, carrots, and spices. The rich cocoa, filled with antioxidants, covers the vegetables' flavor, so what kiddos (and adults) have are warm, decadent, flavorful chocolate bites perfectly sweetened by maple syrup. We love these for morning or an afternoon snack, covered in ghee. 

This recipe yields 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup overripe bananas
  • 1 cup grated carrots
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
  • 130 grams overripe bananas
  • 130 grams grated carrots
  • 60 grams spinach
  • 2 eggs
  • 82 grams maple syrup
  • 4 grams baking powder
  • 4 grams baking soda
  • 3 grams ground cinnamon
  • 100 grams cocoa powder
  • 1.6 grams salt
  • 5 mL vanilla extract
  • 125 grams almond flour
  • 10 mL apple cider vinegar
  • 55 grams coconut oil
  • 85 grams chocolate chips (optional)
  • Flakey salt for topping (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with liners. Set aside.

  2. Combine eggs, banana, carrots, spinach, maple syrup, coconut oil, vinegar, and vanilla in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Pulse a few times until combined. Lastly, fold in chocolate chips (if using).

  3. Portion batter into prepared muffin tins. Top with extra chocolate chips, if desired. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Be careful to not over bake. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Tips

*Allow the muffins to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.

 

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

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There’s a certain Italian hazelnut spread that has the brand recognition — and the refined sugar and harmful palm oil to go along with it. Making your own version with maple syrup is so much healthier and, in my opinion, even tastier.

This recipe yields 8 ounces.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups raw hazelnuts
  • 2 ounces baking chocolate
  • 3 tablespoons cacao
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 260 g raw hazelnuts
  • 2 ounces baking chocolate
  • 3 tablespoons cacao
  • 240 ml maple syrup
  • 60 ml water
  • ½ teaspoon of salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit / 190 degree Celsius. Roast hazelnuts on parchment paper for 5-8 minutes.

  2. Melt baking chocolate in a double broiler on the stove and let cool.

  3. Remove hazelnuts from oven and rub between your palms or between a flour sack towel to remove the skins.

  4. Place hazelnuts in a food processor and blend for approximately 1 minute or until a nut butter consistency forms.

  5. Add cacao and maple syrup to the food processor, blend well.

  6. Slowly add the melted baking chocolate to the mixture.

  7. Slowly add water and salt.

  8. Blend for an additional minute. 

  9. Serve on pancakes, macadamia nut bread, or eat it right out of the jar.

Tips

**The purpose of roasting the hazelnuts is to bring out the flavor and also loosen the skins for easy removal. Many recipes call for 20 minutes of roasting but I find this is far too much time. If they are black and smell burnt, that means the oil in the nut is rancid and it also creates an unsavory flavor that will overpower your spread.
**Both the water and the melted chocolate can be added incrementally to desired thickness and flavor.

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